


A Haunting of Nightjars

by Caducus, saberquill



Series: A Flock of Wings [1]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Brief non-graphic allusion to torture, But Les Mis, Gen, Magical Realism, Other, Think Wing!lock, wing!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-01
Updated: 2013-07-01
Packaged: 2017-12-16 18:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/864971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caducus/pseuds/Caducus, https://archiveofourown.org/users/saberquill/pseuds/saberquill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a particuralrly bad bout of "correction," Jean Valjean finds that he occasionally sees wings on people's backs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Haunting of Nightjars

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a series sussed out with the lovely Caducus. See end for wing-related notes.

It was a chilly morning. The winter blue of the sky pounded inside his head like a death knell. He still hurt. 

One month ago, Jean Valjean had been recaptured. Three weeks ago, he had finished his “correction.” Today, he had been deemed sufficiently recovered to return to work. He still hurt. 

Still, here he was, the sun already patiently shredding his resolve, the ground still icy. His head swam. Damn it all, he was not going to collapse. Not here. He had not broken, not ratted his fellows out, and not come this far to let them see him weak. He still hurt.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught his eye. The man next to him worked steadily, as every day before. Valjean turned back to his own patch. Again, the flicker. He twisted his head fast-

“Prisoner 24601!”

He turned his head around, the sun briefly filling his eyes, blinding him, igniting the pain gnawing behind his eyes, and briefly saw-

The new guard, Javert. Yet, against the sun, the imposing figure had-

Wings.    
Large, sleek, predatory wings, like a bird of prey.   
Valjean blinked, and once again Javert stood before him. “24601.” He growled “Return to your work.”

***

The glimpses didn't go away. They began to gnaw at him. He didn't see them often, or well. But, out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw them- feathered or bat-like or just shadows, and sometimes in dreams- well, the dreams where never coherent, anyway.

Perhaps he had broken, just a little. Still, there was never any time. Not to hurt, not to break, and not to go mad.

***  
Two nights after he met the bishop, Valjean dreamed of the wings again. He couldn't quite make out the shapes behind the bright figure in front of him, but he woke with a feeling like flying and the bishop's words echoing in his mind.

From then on, he started paying attention to the visions.

**Author's Note:**

> Javert's wings are those of a nightjar. These birds are known for only appearing during the night, twilight, and dawn. In folklore, they are said to take the milk from goats in the night. For a man who stole what little childhood he had from the night and the dark, Caducus and I found it fitting. They also travel in groupes called Hauntings. For more information, see here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightjar and for visual reference, see here- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/6728/Male-common-nightjar-landing. Thank you!


End file.
